What's The Best Search Lure? 2024
tcbass reply :
So, what's the best search bait: crankbait/jerkbait - lipped or lipless, jig, spinnerbait, chatterbait/bladed jig, T-Rig, C-Rig, or other?
Fish Murderer 71 reply :
C-Rig for me.... Crankbait second and jig being last...
tholmes reply :
Crankbait or spinnerbait for me. I'm looking for reaction bite first. If that doesn't pan out, the next thing I'll try is some kind of T-rigged plastic
Tom
TNBassin' reply :
Crankbait. You can cover a ton of water with them in a short amount of time. Even if it doesn't get bit, it can fire a school of fish up and get them biting other baits.
MIbassin reply :
Swimjig for me. Very little resistance while being pulled through the water, catches big fish, and is perfect for the clear, weedy waters up here!
MassBass reply :
I think you should add a chatterbait/bladed jig to the list. I voted for spinnerbait. However i love lipless baits but i don't carry them in my kayak.
David D. reply :
Spinnerbait for me; I fish a lot of very weedy areas so I don't get to use crankbaits as much as I would like to. However, when the water is conducive to exposed treble hooks, I usually grab a crankbait first.
iceintheveins reply :
Spinnerbait
Mr Swim Jig reply :
I prefer a swim jig for a search bait...
OroBass reply :
I like to use a Texas rigged swing impact
JickleFish reply :
Lipless cranks and square bills, that's the way to go.
smalljaw67 reply :
Lipless and square bills for me also!!!!
Catch and Grease reply :
Squarebills nuff' said
WRB reply :
Sonar unit.
Mike L reply :
Spinnerbait/Chatterbait
Mike
JickleFish reply :
On 6/20/2014 at 6:19 AM, WRB said:Sonar unit.
x∞
Catt reply :
What y'all do if they aint on a spinner or crank bait bite?
Catch and Grease reply :
On 6/20/2014 at 7:55 AM, Catt said:What y'all do if they aint on a spinner or crank bait bite?
Go home.
einscodek reply :
regarding best search bait.. it depends on conditions
best search tool.. agree sonar is very helpful but the best search tool is still your experience and expertise as a fisherman
Choporoz reply :
If they're scarce and/or scattered, I'm usually tossing green senkos and blue/silver rattletraps until I start to figure patterns.
nascar2428 reply :
On 6/20/2014 at 7:55 AM, Catt said:What y'all do if they aint on a spinner or crank bait bite?
As a bank angler, I use a spinnerbait as a wake up call to get their attention. I run it through an area a couple of times and then I switch to a Senko or T rigged worm to actually catch em.
Mumbly reply :
Spinnerbait for me also. Just looking for a reaction and cover a lot of water.
Catt reply :
On 6/21/2014 at 12:59 AM, nascar2428 said:As a bank angler, I use a spinnerbait as a wake up call to get their attention. I run it through an area a couple of times and then I switch to a Senko or T rigged worm to actually catch em.
If ya know ya gonna catch em the T-rig why waste time with the spinner bait?
I bank fish to & throw the spinner bait last 
Bassun reply :
Crankbaits followed by spinnerbaits.
fisherrw reply :
Strikeking kvd 2.5
nascar2428 reply :
Catt.......there has been an occasion or two when I actually do catch them on the spinnerbait. It's my routine, spinnerbait or swim jig(if there is a lot of vegetation) then the Senkos or t riggs. Makes feel like I'm following some sort of bass fishing protocol .LOL
Catt reply :
On 6/21/2014 at 6:46 AM, nascar2428 said:Catt.......there has been an occasion or two when I actually do catch them on the spinnerbait.
& that's good enough for ya
RoLo reply :
The best search bait is the gray matter between the ears.
Roger
Hyrule Bass reply :
i dont believe in search baits. if the fish dont want your "search bait" then you just wasted a bunch of time. i understand you gotta start somewhere, but theres no magic bait to start with thats gonna find you fish just because you label it a search bait. if the fish dont want that spinnerbait you can throw it till youre blue in the face with no bites, yet toss a slow falling worm out there to the same spots and you might get bit and catch fish. you can also say the exact opposite and change up the lures and it be true.
Brian Needham reply :
yall are getting mired down in what "covers water"....... when you need to be thinking "what catches fish" and that is the right bait for the right times added to the confidence you have in that bait.
I own 4 spinnerbaits...... does that mean I cant cover water???NO
but then again I don't "cover water" I try to fish where they live from the get go.
Hyrule Bass reply :
On 6/21/2014 at 9:36 AM, Brian Needham said:yall are getting mired down in what "covers water"....... when you need to be thinking "what catches fish" and that is the right bait for the right times added to the confidence you have in that bait.
I own 4 spinnerbaits...... does that mean I cant cover water???NO
but then again I don't "cover water" I try to fish where they live from the get go.
i agree about the covering water thing. fishing is about more than just covering water. what good is covering water if the fish dont want that bait at that time?
Catt reply :
On 6/21/2014 at 7:45 PM, Red Earth said:i agree about the covering water thing. fishing is about more than just covering water. what good is covering water if the fish dont want that bait at that time?
Or you're covering water that doesn't hold fish!
To me covering water with "search lures" is targeting specific structure & cover with high precentage lures.
Bassun reply :
I hate to sound contrary; but I absolutely disagree with the concept of not using search baits... but it may be more about what we are calling "search" baits vs what you are actually doing.
To fish a 2' diving crank search bait over 30' open water is obivously not a good solution. However, fishing a "reaction" bait over good cover is obviously a great idea. What's the difference... how I said it.
We ALL use search baits when we first start the day. It may be something in which you have recently had success on, or something that historically works in the specific situation you are in; but a search bait is just that - a bait you use to help find the fish and what they are keying on. You can use a worm for a seach bait if you want; but generally speaking that is not time nor cost effective.
If you only fish your home lake, then you are less likely to use "search" baits as you know that in Snookers Cove, in June you can catch a ton of fish at that second drop off if you just drag a trick worm and let if drop off the edge. Not exactly a normal tactic, but hey it's your lake and you have figured that out over the years you have fished it. That's all fine and dandy if you are fishing water you know; but what happens when you fish new water? Are you going to look for a similar cove, and try draging a trick worm off a ledge? Probably not.
But, you will look for the basic things a fish needs. Most notabaly a good place to forage and hide. Once you find good cover what are you going to do? We are all going to do the same thing... probe the area. Some will use jigs, some cranks, some spinnerbaits, etc. But the key is we are all looking for those first clues to hone in on. Are they hitting short, are they following and turning, are they hitting from below or behind, are they hitting and turning or hitting and holding? These are all things (and more) that we should be looking at when we catch a fish. Each fish tells a tail, and its our job as anglers to read between the lines, and begin to figure out what the fish wants. You have to start somewhere... if you are on water you don't know, I would (and DO) start with reaction baits. Sure you may not start out on the largest fish in the lake, but you can get a quick idea of what they want (and dont want) if you take the time to read the fish. To me, this is using a search bait to begin to identify the days pattern.
I said i used Cranks and spinnerbaits as search baits, which I generally do start out with (cranks 90% of the time) but when things get really tough and I'm just trying to buy a bite I actually go a totally different direction and begin searching with grubs. They are one of the most versitile lures we own, and make for a great tool when used properly. You can fish them deep, shallow, mid-depth, drag the bottom, swim, jig, burn the surface, in cover, over grass, through grass, in rocks, over rocks, dead stick, dead fall, etc etc etc and you can change the size and color in a matter of seconds by just changing bodies - you can also target fish from bluegills and up. My point is that while I start with a crank, if I'm struggling, I don't go back to a crank - I tie on a grub and figure out where I went wrong. The grub becomes my fallback search bait because it's so easy to down size and work your way up and into a good pattern.
Catt reply :
The difficulty I have come from the terminology,all lures are search lures & all lures are reaction lures.
"If you worry about what might be...and wonder what might have been...you will ignore what is."
Let the conditions & the bass tell you what to throw, when, & where.
To quote nascar2428, "Makes me feel like I'm following some sort of bass fishing protocol."
Y'all are following a bass fishing protocol; problem is there aint no bass fishing protocol!
Brian Needham reply :
On 6/22/2014 at 6:43 PM, Catt said:Y'all are following a bass fishing protocol; problem is there aint no bass fishing protocol!
about sums it up right there!!!!!!
Bassun reply :
Oh I completely disagree --- there absolutely is a "protocol". Not a daily set method that always works - but seasonally there absolutely is. Are you going to be fishing topwater hard and fast when its January/Feburary, and the water temp is 42 degrees? No. Protocal dictates where the fish "should" be based on seasonal migration, and fish habits (and habitats). Each lake is different, each fish is different; but basic concepts of seasonal fishing remains.
Now is there a guarenteed protocol you can follow from minute to minute and day to day; no, I agree. BUT - if you have a systematic approach that you follow consistently; you will consistently be able to find and catch fish as you will become better at reading their reactions to your methods. (assuming you are not using a really bad approach lol). I think one of the worst things an angler can do is toss lures and not know why they are using it. Look at your situation. Where should the fish be, but more importantly WHY should the fish be there. Once you start breaking down patterns based on the fish and not luck, you will generally become much more... lucky...
Granted this is just my opinion and I've never won the Classic so take it for what its worth. 
shawnmc reply :
Spinnerbait. Can be fished at any depth and retrieved at any speed. You can cover water quickly as well.
tcbass reply :
On 6/22/2014 at 2:37 PM, Bassun said:I hate to sound contrary; but I absolutely disagree with the concept of not using search baits... but it may be more about what we are calling "search" baits vs what you are actually doing.
To fish a 2' diving crank search bait over 30' open water is obivously not a good solution. However, fishing a "reaction" bait over good cover is obviously a great idea. What's the difference... how I said it.
We ALL use search baits when we first start the day. It may be something in which you have recently had success on, or something that historically works in the specific situation you are in; but a search bait is just that - a bait you use to help find the fish and what they are keying on. You can use a worm for a seach bait if you want; but generally speaking that is not time nor cost effective.
If you only fish your home lake, then you are less likely to use "search" baits as you know that in Snookers Cove, in June you can catch a ton of fish at that second drop off if you just drag a trick worm and let if drop off the edge. Not exactly a normal tactic, but hey it's your lake and you have figured that out over the years you have fished it. That's all fine and dandy if you are fishing water you know; but what happens when you fish new water? Are you going to look for a similar cove, and try draging a trick worm off a ledge? Probably not.
But, you will look for the basic things a fish needs. Most notabaly a good place to forage and hide. Once you find good cover what are you going to do? We are all going to do the same thing... probe the area. Some will use jigs, some cranks, some spinnerbaits, etc. But the key is we are all looking for those first clues to hone in on. Are they hitting short, are they following and turning, are they hitting from below or behind, are they hitting and turning or hitting and holding? These are all things (and more) that we should be looking at when we catch a fish. Each fish tells a tail, and its our job as anglers to read between the lines, and begin to figure out what the fish wants. You have to start somewhere... if you are on water you don't know, I would (and DO) start with reaction baits. Sure you may not start out on the largest fish in the lake, but you can get a quick idea of what they want (and dont want) if you take the time to read the fish. To me, this is using a search bait to begin to identify the days pattern.
I said i used Cranks and spinnerbaits as search baits, which I generally do start out with (cranks 90% of the time) but when things get really tough and I'm just trying to buy a bite I actually go a totally different direction and begin searching with grubs. They are one of the most versitile lures we own, and make for a great tool when used properly. You can fish them deep, shallow, mid-depth, drag the bottom, swim, jig, burn the surface, in cover, over grass, through grass, in rocks, over rocks, dead stick, dead fall, etc etc etc and you can change the size and color in a matter of seconds by just changing bodies - you can also target fish from bluegills and up. My point is that while I start with a crank, if I'm struggling, I don't go back to a crank - I tie on a grub and figure out where I went wrong. The grub becomes my fallback search bait because it's so easy to down size and work your way up and into a good pattern.
What is this grub you speak of?
bmac31 reply :
Spinner then crank
bmac31 reply :
Spinner the cranks
Bassun reply :
On 6/23/2014 at 7:48 AM, tcbass said:What is this grub you speak of?
Here is an example of a grub. This happens to be a good quality PowerBait version:
http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-PowerBait-Original-Power-Grub/product/15723/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=15723%26adc=pg_315_11128_530bae48e4b021b76fd3c94a_41411118751
tcbass reply :
On 6/23/2014 at 9:44 AM, Bassun said:Here is an example of a grub. This happens to be a good quality PowerBait version:
http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-PowerBait-Original-Power-Grub/product/15723/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=15723%26adc=pg_315_11128_530bae48e4b021b76fd3c94a_41411118751
O. lol. I thought you meant grub like maggot for icefishing. I was like I've never heard of that for bass.
Bassun reply :
It actually is based off a larve insect as well. Just a larger version, and they (maybe Mr. Twister was the original?) added a tail. If I remember right the grub was the larve of a junebug. But I am not positive. But, either way, some concept just upsize a bit and add a curly tail, lol.
Basspro87 reply :
Cranbaits (preferable lipless)
Catt reply :
On 6/23/2014 at 1:02 AM, Bassun said:Oh I completely disagree --- there absolutely is a "protocol". Not a daily set method that always works - but seasonally there absolutely is. Are you going to be fishing topwater hard and fast when its January/Feburary, and the water temp is 42 degrees? No. Protocal dictates where the fish "should" be based on seasonal migration, and fish habits (and habitats). Each lake is different, each fish is different; but basic concepts of seasonal fishing remains.
Now is there a guarenteed protocol you can follow from minute to minute and day to day; no, I agree. BUT - if you have a systematic approach that you follow consistently; you will consistently be able to find and catch fish as you will become better at reading their reactions to your methods. (assuming you are not using a really bad approach lol). I think one of the worst things an angler can do is toss lures and not know why they are using it. Look at your situation. Where should the fish be, but more importantly WHY should the fish be there. Once you start breaking down patterns based on the fish and not luck, you will generally become much more... lucky...
Granted this is just my opinion and I've never won the Classic so take it for what its worth.
Problem with your protocol is bass aint read it!
FishTank reply :
Crankbait and depending on the water, 3ft or 6ft diving depth. I try to cover as much water as possible when I fish this way.
greentrout reply :
Lipless cranks by Cotton Cordell and Bill Lewis. Wood, brush, stumps and other cover the spinner bait leads the way.
RoLo reply :
If we're looking for a lure with fast area-coverage, the 'crankbait' has few rivals.
Nevertheless, if your chucking crankbaits when bass are groveling on the lake floor,
your "search" is predestined to fail. This takes us full-circle,
back to the gray matter between our ears 
Roger
Chris-W reply :
On 6/21/2014 at 12:59 AM, nascar2428 said:As a bank angler, I use a spinnerbait as a wake up call to get their attention. I run it through an area a couple of times and then I switch to a Senko or T rigged worm to actually catch em.
Had never thought of this approach, will have to try that!
Catch and Grease reply :
I'm surprised that not a single person put a vote in for the C-Rig, during the summer its a game changer on most lakes...
einscodek reply :
spinnerbait by a mile
BasshunterJGH reply :
Squarebill crankbait in the fall, jig in the winter/spring, c-rig summer imo. Just my experience. Sorry I'm late posting i just saw this thread:)
ClackerBuzz reply :
great thread. vote for best of
Josh Smith reply :
I prefer the Texas rig or a swim jig.
The way I work them, I get reaction strikes, especially on the Texas rig. The added benefit is feeling the bottom.
I like to feel the bottom, get an idea of structure, and these two lures let me do that. I don't fish them as much later in the year after I have a map of the bottom in my head, but still cast them out often enough to keep an idea of updating bottom conditions.
Regards,
Josh
Zach Dunham reply :
Spinnerbait for me or a chatterbait.
OntarioFishingGuy reply :
Lipless crank.
thehooligan reply :
Lipless cranks !!
Second for me would be a 4 inch keitech easy shiner on an underspin...
lectricbassman reply :
I fish pressured ponds with lots of vegitation so cranks dont work well. I find that swimming a curly tail grub works well to find the fish.
J Francho reply :
There is no "best." Lures are problem solvers. Pick the lure that gets to the fish, and works in the cover present. From there, fine tune the presentation.
A-Jay reply :
I'm always "searching" . . . . for a bigger bite rather than just "A" bite.
Bait selection is driven by a few basic factors including season, water temp, cover, structure & the size of the search area.
I really love poking around a likely area / spot with a jig.
A-Jay
papajoe222 reply :
What is it we're searching for? Active fish, drop offs, changes in bottom composition, submerged weeds or wood........of the lures listed, a jig,T-rig and C-rig can be used, but are poor choices when searching for active fish as they are time consuming. I have to agree with Tom. The best search tool isn't a lure, it's my electronics.
PersicoTrotaVA reply :
Usually its a crankbait but I have been really wanting to try Ish Monroe's "dropping bombs" technique. It seems to be a good way to cover a lot of water quickly and get reaction strikes.
related Fishing Tackle topic
previous topic
next topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.